Reports on osteoporosis research are not given in one single forum. They are frequently included in programs of various national and international meetings dealing with bone, mineral metabolism, endocrinology, and gerontology. The progress made in this field is therefore presented in a fragmented manner, and significant information may elude workers in this field unless they diligently follow each and every meeting as well as the multiplicity of publications emanating from them. The Second International Symposium on Osteoporosis will serve to bring together workers from the variety of disciplines dealing with osteoporosis and will present a comprehensive up-to-date report of the progress made in the nine years since 1969, the year of the First International Symposium.